Staff Writer Danny O’Malley sat down with Xavier’s head baseball coach
Xavier Newswire: How many years have you been coaching for Xavier University and what is your favorite part about it?
Scott Googins: I’ve been coaching at Xavier for eight years and seven have been as a head coach. There are a lot of things I love about Xavier. l love the close knit feeling around campus and the family atmosphere. At a special school like Xavier, there is an instant connection with alumni and that makes working here more enjoyable. I think it’s been awesome to see all the changes around campus and on the baseball field. It’s been such an exciting time to be here.
XN: Who is your favorite professional baseball team?
SG: Cincinnati Reds – I grew up in central Ohio during the Big Red Machine era. My first World Series I remember as a kid was the ’75 series when Cincinnati beat the Boston Red Sox. I was a catcher and I always loved Johnny Bench. He was definitely my favorite player.
XN: What is your previous experience playing baseball?
SG: I played growing up and in high school and I also played at Ohio Wesleyan – a DIII school in Central Ohio. I loved my time playing the sport, so when I found the opportunity to stick with it, I continued along that path and it has been a great decision.
XN: What kind of music do you like to listen to?
SG: I actually am an 80s rock fan. I like Metallica and AC/DC; sometimes I try to get it going in the weight room, but the fellas don’t like it as much as I do.
XN: What makes this year’s baseball team more unique than the past teams you have coached?
SG: This is a very young team and we don’t have a lot of experience coming back from last year. There is more “on the job” learning, as these kids are learning how to deal with different situations while competing for playing time in the games. It’s fun to watch when the younger guys seem to “get it.”
XN: What hobbies do you have when you’re not coaching?
SG: When I’m not coaching, I spend most of my time with my family. I’ve got three young kids and they are getting involved in activities, so we’re pretty busy with that. We watch a lot of sports as a family – try to catch Reds games and hang out with friends.